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Personally I have no desire to eat like the much-lauded Inuit because first of all I don't live in that environment and secondly the thought of osteoporosis and early death doesn't much appeal to me. It continues to befuddle me that they are held to such a high regard on this and other forums. I eat a paleo diet that is much more aligned with the Okinawans... high carb and low fat.

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I eat whale meat a few times a month and sometimes I'll nibble on some whale blubber. It's been pickled in whey and is IMO a great snack. Of course I grew up on it as a kid so to me it's always been just another good food to eat.

And the blubber is best raw, I tried muqtuq in Greenland and it was ok. Great comfort food during winter and has decent amounts of C vitamin in it.

I've always thought that I'd like to try Hákarl at least once. But I've yet to find an Icelandic deli here in L.A.

Some people who disagree with a low-carbohydrate lifestyle are quick to grasp at some of Stefansson's conclusions as evidence the Eskimos' all meat diet was unhealthy. The Eskimos diet cannot be blamed for Stefansson's concluding remarks.

The Eskimos may have appeared to age more quickly than white Europeans for several reasons:

They were exposed to extreme temperature ranges their entire life.

They may have been exposed to excessive smoke from fires in their huts.

They may have been effected by the reduced amount of sun light during winter months.

The life span of the Eskimos would naturally be shorter than that of other societies for several reasons which have nothing to do with nutrition:

The extreme temperature exposure is expected to cause some percentage of deaths.

The hunting and fishing practices are high risk endeavors that cause deaths by accident.

Fluctuations in food supply are known to have caused starvation among the Eskimos.

Infection was a major cause of death for which the people had little understanding.

The Eskimos had many health advantages compared to white Europeans of their day. These health benefits can be clearly credited to their all meat diet, such as:

Perfect dental health. They had no dental caries within the entire community.

Excellent skeletal health without any signs of osteoporosis.

They had no cancer of any kind.

They had no heart disease or cardiovascular disease of any kind.

They had no intestinal diseases that have been reported by Stefansson or others.

They had no Type 2 diabetes because it is caused by eating carbohydrates.

They had no obesity because obesity is caused by eating carbohydrates.

Stefansson found his health suffering after eating a typical American diet upon his return to New York City. He changed back to the low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, regained his health and continued in very good health until his death at the age of 83.

The Eskimos proved that our current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamins and minerals must be wrong. The Eskimos ate an all meat and animal fat diet by eating seal, polar bear, caribou, fox, wolf, whale, fish and bird. Their diet would appear to be low in vitamin C and vitamin K, but they did not develop scurvy or develop illnesses as the result of a vitamin C or K deficiency. The Eskimos proved the current nutritional theory of a "balanced diet" is nonsense. Some Eskimo tribes ate primarily polar bear, others primarily seal and others primarily salmon. The most healthy diet has the majority of calories coming from meat and natural animal fats while avoiding carbohydrates.

The ice has always melted at the shoreline in summer along Northern Canada and Alaska. That is why explorer tried to search for the Northwest Passage, a route that was ice free around Northern Canada. The passage is never fully open, but an icebreaker has made the trip from Greenland to Alaska. The Franklin party comprised of two shipped tried to find the passage in 1825. They knew they would be trapped in the ice all winter and prepared for it with their guns, food and lime juice for vitamin C. They all died anyway from scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. The nearby Eskimos would wave to the men on the ships as they went about their daily routine hunting seals, raising babies, taking care of old people and feeding their dogs. They had no guns and ate a 100% meat diet. Professional nutritionists will tell you meat has no vitamin C. That is just another example of brainwashing.

Humans would quickly die on a diet of all fruit or all carbohydrates. Humans would suffer multiple nutritional deficiencies and diseases on a diet of all grains, legumes or rice. Humans live wonderfully healthy on a diet of all meat and natural animal fats which includes the organ meats.

Primitive societies that switched from being primarily meat eating hunters to becoming primarily grain eating farmers suffered a sharp decline in health as proven by multiple studies. The ancient Egyptians are a very good example proving that carbohydrates from whole grains and fruit are disease causing.

Vitamin and mineral food count books cannot be trusted to give the correct amount of vitamins and minerals contained in various foods. Meat is typically ignored as a recommended vitamin or mineral source in favor of fruit and vegetables. In truth, red meat, fowl, fish and sea food are packed with vitamins minerals, essential fatty acids and essential amino acids. Vitamin B12 is only found in meat. When explorers discovered the North American Indians and Eskimos, they found them to be in excellent health even though their diet consisting almost entirely of meat. Nutritionists of the day and modern nutritionists cannot concede the fact that these people did not suffer from scurvy because of a deficiency of vitamin C as expected. The explorers found that fresh meat and pemmican not only prevented scurvy but it cured scurvy in those already suffering from the disease. The Indians and Eskimos lived in excellent health on an all meat diet. The Eskimos that lived in Northern Canada on the Mackenzie River delta ate a diet almost entirely of salmon, caribou and seal. The North American Plaines Indians lived primarily on pemmican, a mixture of lean buffalo meat, dried, shredded or pounded fine and mixed with melted fat. The fat was half internal hard fat and half external soft back fat. This diet grew tough, strong and perfectly healthy children. The content was 80% fat on a calorie basis contrary to the erroneous statements made in numerous books that the Indians ate lean meat. These writers came to this hasty conclusion because buffalo flesh is more lean than beef. The Indians added 50% fat on a volume basis to make the pemmican. The Hudson Bay Company and North West Company (fur trappers and traders) purchased pemmican from the Indians by the ton to supply the fur trappers. The United States Government later moved the Indians to reservations where the Government provided them with grain, flour and sugar as food, instead of meat. The high-carbohydrate diet supplied by the Government destroyed the health of the Indians causing an epidemic of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer that continues to this day.

For centuries the Eskimos lived on the Arctic ice north of Canada in the winter (not summer) spearing seals through their breathing holes in the ice. The diet of the people and dogs was 100% seal meat and seal fat. The diet was about 80% fat and 20% protein. Their carbohydrate intake was zero, none. They did not have any problem maintaining the level of blood sugar. Dietary carbohydrates (glucose) is not needed for the brain, heart or any other body organ. The body can make glucose from fat and protein. The level of blood sugar is maintained perfectly well naturally.

The pregnant Eskimo woman would give birth to a baby. The mother's milk would be just like the milk of all human mothers, 58% fat, 12% protein and 30% carbohydrates (lactose or milk sugar). As the infant became completely weaned by age 2 the child's diet became 80% fat, 20% protein and zero carbohydrates. This diet grew tough, strong and perfectly healthy children.

The Franklin expedition didn't die just from scurvy, but also lead poisoning, pneumonia, and tuberculosis.

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Otzi, In reply to the above, you have a lot of misinformation there. It is well known that the Inuit often had frequent nosebleeds - this was noted by many arctic explorers - not usually a sign of good health :-). Also it was well known that the Inuit and other northern people suffered from osteoporosis - and autopsies of pre-contact Inuit show this. These also showed narrowing or blockages of the arteries.
Vitamin B12 is not just found in meat by the way, although I assume you meant to say animal products.
I really don't believe, from my experince with the Inuit, that any of them lived on an all meat diet. Yes for a good portion of the year they would have but if you have ever been in a remote settlement in the Arctic in the spring or summer, you will see people spread accross the landscape picking berries, digging roots etc. They also ate the stomach contents of caribou, as well as sea vegetables when able to harvest them. In additon there were certain mosses and lichens they would add to their pots when they boiled fish. Many of the Northern people still live a fairly traditinal diet esp in the remote areas as 'white food' is just too expensive to eat all the time. Look up the cost of food in some Northern communities like frobisher bay.
The plains Indians did not eat primaily pemmican. This was a survival food they used in the winter when they could not get wild game. They ate fresh meat whenever they could get it. They also ate lots of roots, wild spinach etc. They dried a lot of the meat. When it ran out they survived on Pemmican which they also used to eat when travelling/hunting. Pemmican by the way almost always had dried berries mixed in (at least the local tribes I am familiar with- although much of the stuff sold to the whites didn't)
There was a chief of one of the local Stoney tribes near Calgary who died about 10-15 years ago. He was 105 IIRC. He ate primarily a traditional diet - said he tried white man food for a while but didnt like it and went back to tradtional food. He explained what he ate and it was primarily meat based, there was a fair amount of vegetation/berries as well.
A little known fact re Stefansson, the diet he was on in the hospital during his one year experiment was supplemented by his doctors because they feared malnutition. IIRC there were 4 things they supplemented with - I don't recall what but magnesium seems to ring a bell.
You may want to look up the autopsies - they make for interesting reading.
Cheers
J

That's a lot of claims, many of them highly dubious, a lot of things you "don't recall", a lot of beliefs, and a startling paucity of references.

I'm not sure why the Inuit diet rubs people up the wrong way quite so much as to make that kind of thing necessary.

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Oh god, I would not try the Hákarl. I think it would make me puke. But I would love to try a real traditional Inuit meal. I used to work at a job where we listened to audio of whales in the Arctic Ocean above Alaska (note all the new drilling Shell is doing, you can thank me for my tiny contribution). Anyway, one time we had a guy from the area come down to help us out. We had pictures of whales and seals all over the walls and many of the computer terminals had desktop pictures of whales. There was one picture of a guy eating a huge chunk of whale blubber on one of them. Our buddy said oh, that is really good stuff and that he ate whale blubber like that all the time plus seal and walrus. His description me want to at least try it if I'm ever up there and given the opportunity.

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Altho' I have been willing to try a taste of a lot of unusual things, I'll let the whales go on living. It is not necessary in my current climate and diet. But my takeaway message is still: eat as wild animals as possible. Eat the whole critter, not just steaks. Eat raw or fermented or boiled meat. Eat every ounce of fat and dip dried meat in melted fat or mix with pounded fat. Everything above survival eating is just dessert! ;-)

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"That's a lot of claims, many of them highly dubious, a lot of things you "don't recall", a lot of beliefs, and a startling paucity of references.
I'm not sure why the Inuit diet rubs people up the wrong way quite so much as to make that kind of thing necessary. "

Oh I could provide references but if you were at least somewhat open minded you could look for yourself. I must say, on the other hand, I have yet to see/find any solid scientific references on the benefits to the Inuit diet - almost all are anecdotal - and by explorers who for the most part were not scientists. It is easy to find the autopsies on the net if you look. Also easy to find the references to the supplements that were given to V.S. Question everything -
People seem to be afraid to accept any thing that will upset their paradigm. How many people for example research various religions and actually change religions? Most just accept the faith they were brought up in - you will find the same thing applies to most other stuff - every one accepts the dogma. I try to question every thing and try not to accept things at face value - I did the research on the Inuit diet and I have lived with and known Inuit. I believe the Inuit are the fringe - the people who got pushed out of better areas and had no choice but to adapt. If you had a choice would you voluntarily live in the Arctic. Not a chance.
I did my research - I couldn't find anything to convince that the Inuit diet was as healthy as other 'native diets' and in fact found a fair amount to convince me otherwise. I am on to other things - I still keep an open mind and read threads like this looking to see if something may come up that would make me question my original findings.

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I must say, on the other hand, I have yet to see/find any solid scientific references on the benefits to the Inuit diet - almost all are anecdotal - and by explorers who for the most part were not scientists. It is easy to find the autopsies on the net if you look. Also easy to find the references to the supplements that were given to V.S. Question everything - People seem to be afraid to accept any thing that will upset their paradigm. I did my research - I couldn't find anything to convince that the Inuit diet was as healthy as other 'native diets' and in fact found a fair amount to convince me otherwise. I am on to other things - I still keep an open mind and read threads like this looking to see if something may come up that would make me question my original findings.

Nice post.

It saddens me to see so many people hanging their diet on the Inuit... when by many accounts it wasn't really a healthy diet at all.

A necessary diet... but not necessarily healthy.

The longest lived peoples on earth have always had a high plant-based diet.

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It saddens me to see so many people hanging their diet on the Inuit... when by many accounts it wasn't really a healthy diet at all.

A necessary diet... but not necessarily healthy.

The longest lived peoples on earth have always had a high plant-based diet.

The longest-lived people on earth, at least according to modern researchers, have always lived in moderate temperatures summer and winter. Vilcabamba comes to mind. Even noting the scepticism over reported very aged records, I believe that not fighting extremes of temperatures will. perforce, enable year-round plant availability and less illhealth.
Sort of a chicken and egg question? Which came first?

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"That's a lot of claims, many of them highly dubious, a lot of things you "don't recall", a lot of beliefs, and a startling paucity of references.
I'm not sure why the Inuit diet rubs people up the wrong way quite so much as to make that kind of thing necessary. "

Oh I could provide references but if you were at least somewhat open minded you could look for yourself. I must say, on the other hand, I have yet to see/find any solid scientific references on the benefits to the Inuit diet - almost all are anecdotal - and by explorers who for the most part were not scientists. It is easy to find the autopsies on the net if you look. Also easy to find the references to the supplements that were given to V.S. Question everything -
People seem to be afraid to accept any thing that will upset their paradigm. How many people for example research various religions and actually change religions? Most just accept the faith they were brought up in - you will find the same thing applies to most other stuff - every one accepts the dogma. I try to question every thing and try not to accept things at face value - I did the research on the Inuit diet and I have lived with and known Inuit. I believe the Inuit are the fringe - the people who got pushed out of better areas and had no choice but to adapt. If you had a choice would you voluntarily live in the Arctic. Not a chance.
I did my research - I couldn't find anything to convince that the Inuit diet was as healthy as other 'native diets' and in fact found a fair amount to convince me otherwise. I am on to other things - I still keep an open mind and read threads like this looking to see if something may come up that would make me question my original findings.

This exchange got me interested in looking up a small subset of Inuit, found in Greenland. Here's the Amazon blurb for "The Greenland Mummies." Quote: publication Date: June 10, 1991
How did they die? Why were they buried together? What had been the nature of their culture and beliefs? How had they survived in the harsh Arctic climate? To solve this icy mystery, a team of archaeologists, historians, and medical specialists used modern, innovative investigative techniques. They carried out their detective work with keen scholarly curiosity, combined with respect for these people of the past. While many puzzles have been answered, others remain unsolved. The investigation has revealed that the younger child was buried alive at the age of only six months, while the other, two and a half years old, had been born with Down's syndrome. Analysis of the hair of the mummies revealed evidence of air pollution at levels similar to those of today. Speculating on reasons for a mass grave -- a form of burial the Inuit normally used only because of some catastrophe -- the researchers have reconstructed the possible events of the past. The contents of the grave shed light on the every-day life of these people, allowing the investigators to place this evidence within the larger context of Thule culture and knowledge of Inuit contact with the Norse settlements which dotted the outer margins of Greenland during the medieval era. The Greenland Mummies brings the compelling story of this fervent collaboration to the attention of the world. Not only does it provide a fascinating and insightful look into the life and culture of the Inuit in the fifteenth century, it offers an impressive testament to one of the most successful archaeological investigations ever conducted.
--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition. endquote
It seems that these particular Inuit had a lot of health problems wrapped up in one small area of 2 mass graves. No males were buried here, the youngest was buried alive, and only the eldest was unrelated to all the others. That they had contact with Norse neighbours was acknowledged. Pollution was as deadly then as it is now. The big mystery is still why they had been buried in that particular way and fashion. Just goes to show, no matter where we live or how, sooner or later, we all die of something.;-)